“It’s not as often as the public might think that a judge comes across a truly bad person, one who is evil through and through, who seems to have no redeeming qualities, one for whom no sympathy is warranted,” he said.

“Marshall is, in my view, an evil man through and through (due to) his relentless depravity and the sheer disgusting ugliness of his behaviour.

“(His offending) for his own gratification, which destroyed the victims emotionally and psychologically, knew no bounds… I’ve rarely come across his like before.”

The public condemnation was long-awaited vindication for one of Marshall’s victims.

David Jobling gave adelaidenow written permission to publish his name and photograph, saying it was the start of his healing process after almost 40 years of anguish.

“I feel like it’s over, now, and I can say `I lived through this, I had to go through the arduous court process’,” he said.

“This means I don’t have to keep turning up to court, don’t have to keep thinking about (the abuse), dreaming about it.

“Hearing the judge acknowledge our suffering was good, in a strange way… vindicating, but sad as well.”

Marshall, 84, is already serving one limiting term – a period under mental health supervision equal to the jail term a healthy person would receive – for sex offences.

Last year, he was found unfit to stand trial on multiple subsequent counts of buggery, indecent assault and unlawful sexual intercourse.

The offences, against Mr Jobling and three others, took place in the 1970s.

Marshall’s co-accused – Peter Leith and Phillip Cave – have each been jailed for their involvement.

At the time of the crimes, Marshall was a TV personality heavily involved with children’s productions and the Cottage Theatre.

Today, Marshall was excused from attending court owing to his ongoing health problems, including Parkinson’s Disease and acute agoraphobia.

Justice Nicholson said Marshall was undoubtedly the “elder statesman, mastermind and ringleader” of the paedophiles.

He said Marshall drew the group’s victims from the ranks of his young, eager and trusting performers.

“Marshall attracted other profoundly perverted men to what must have been regarded, by them, as a honeypot,” he said.

Justice Nicholson said he would have jailed Marshall, had he been healthy, for 25 years – and imposed that time, as limiting term, on top of the existing term.

He refused Marshall’s application to cancel the home detention portion of his term.

He said keeping Marshall in his home would prevent further psychological injury to Mr Jobling and the other victims.

Outside court, Mr Jobling said his battle was not yet over.

“Because the crimes happened in the 1970s, the maximum amount of compensation to which I’m entitled is capped at $2000,” he said.

“That’s an insult that goes deep to the core… that money doesn’t even cover bus fares and lunches over the past seven years of court appearances.